This invention relates to deferred action batteries having improved depolarizers. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved depolarizers for use in reserved or deferred action batteries.
Silver chloride-magnesium sea water activated batteries are well known and have been in use for many years. However, these batteries are not only expensive but consume, without possibility of salvage, a relatively scarce precious metal. There have been many attempts in the past to develop a non-silver bearing depolarizer. Such compounds as cuprous chloride, cuprous iodide, lead chloride are examples of depolarizers which have been used in the past in sea water activated batteries. However, many of these batteries have suffered the disadvantage of having a relatively short operating life, short storage life, or rapidly deteriorate when stored under high humidity conditions.
In view of the foregoing, it should now be understood that it would be desirable to provide an improved battery having an improved depolarizer that would solve the above and other problems.
Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a reserve or deferred action battery which eliminates or minimizes the use of strategic materials such as silver.
Another object of this invention is to provide a cathode depolarizer that is relatively insensitive to moisture so as to enable long storage periods at high temperatures and high humidity without degradation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reserve or deferred action battery which does not suffer from the disadvantages of the prior art batteries and yet will perform as good or better than the prior art batteries.